Most Christians would admit that, at times, their Christian walk feels more
like a crawl. We may feel our relationship with God has dwindled or that our
work for Him is ineffective. We may even feel disillusioned about the path
our life has taken.
God wants much more for us. He wants us to live abundantly and victoriously.
He wants to empower us to do great things for His kingdom. But in order to
live that triumphant life, we must first surrender everything to Him.
In studying the prophet Elisha, we see that God works miraculously to bring
victory to those who surrender to Him. By emptying ourselves before God, He
can fill us to overflowing. Are you in a situation where you feel
inadequate? Do you feel like you have nothing to offer? Have you tried every
human solution possible, only to realise you have no further options? If so,
you can rejoice because your brokenness can be the foundation for God to do
great things in your life. If you surrender to Him, God can bless you and
fill you with the joy that only He can give.
Whatever we go through, whether small or large, God wants us to surrender to
Him. When we lay our problems at the feet of Christ - truly place His will
above ours - God is able to work fully in our lives.
Read 2 Kings 4:1-7. In this passage we read about a woman in a place of
bankruptcy and shame. Her husband had died and left her a debt she could not
possibly pay; the only thing she could do was throw herself upon the mercy
of Elisha.
Elisha did not offer to pay her debts. He instead asked her, "Tell me, what
do you have in your house?" (2 Kings 4:2) God's plan for our lives always
begins with what we have. The widow did not have much - only a little oil.
Yet she offered it to Elisha, hoping he could use it to help her. She did
not try to hoard it or hide it from him. She surrendered the little bit she
had.
Likewise, God does not want us to hold back from Him. He wants us to
surrender whatever we have left. He wants us to come clean with Him and
confess whatever we are trying to hide from Him. When we give God
everything, He can use the tiniest jar of oil to bless us.
Elisha told the widow to borrow as many empty jars as she could, then to
pour the oil into the jars. These borrowed vessels showed the woman's
capacity to receive from God. The more vessels she had, the more she was
going to receive. The more empty the jars were, the more oil that would fill
them. The moment she ran out of empty vessels, the oil stopped flowing.
God will only bless us as much as we make available for Him to bless us. We
cannot pick and choose areas of our lives to allow God to work - we must
surrender everything to Him. Like the widow's jars, if we are filled with
other things - bitterness, a critical spirit, greed, selfishness - then
God's Holy Spirit cannot be poured into us.
Elisha also instructed the widow to close the door when she was pouring the
oil: "Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil
into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side" (2 Kings 4:4).
We need to get into our prayer closets and shut the doors. We need to shut
out all distractions, anxieties, and worldliness that prevent us from
surrendering to God. We need to put our focus on Him alone.
The widow did as Elisha told her: "She left him and afterward shut the door
behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
... She went and told the man of God, and he said, 'Go, sell the oil and pay
your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left'" (2 Kings 4:5,7).
God multiplied her few drops of oil into a great blessing.
When we are broken before God, He begins to pour great blessings into our
lives. When we repent and yield completely to Him, He can transform our
lives. Are you broken before God today? Or do you still hold on to areas in
your life - sin, ambition, money, relationships - that you hoard away from
Him? If there is something you haven't surrendered to God? Confess and pray
for the Holy Spirit's help to let go of that and allow God complete control
in your life.
Useful link: www.leadingtheway.org
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